Scientists try methods to revive Okinawa coral

4 min read

Scientists and conservationists are testing experimental methods to revive Okinawa's coral reefs after a 2024 marine heatwave created large areas of bleached and dying coral. Laboratories use heatwave simulators that control temperature and pH to induce bleaching and study adaptation, while local programs in Onna have bred and transplanted corals since 1999 and private farms produced "miracle coral" that survived the 2024 event. The reefs face continued risk from warmer, record-hot oceans and a predicted major El Niño, and recovery is complicated by hotel construction, overfishing and pollution which also threaten tourism-dependent local economies.

The 2024 heatwave severely bleached large areas of Okinawa coral reefs